Birchwood Honda West Blog

TORONTO (January 7, 2009) – Based on its all-time record annual sales of 72,463 units in 2008, Honda Civic became the first passenger car in 15 years to achieve status as the top-selling vehicle, including all cars and trucks, in Canada. The Civic also remained Canada’s top-selling passenger car for an 11th consecutive year, outselling its nearest competitor by 14,727 units.”We thank Canadian consumers for their continuing vote of confidence in the Civic with its strong value resulting from its excellent fuel efficiency, class-leading standard safety features and fun-to-drive character,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc.

“And with the exception of the Civic Hybrid, all other Civic models sold in Canada are produced right here in Canada. We are proud of our investment in Canada as a vehicle manufacturer with virtually half of all the vehicles we sell in Canada being built in Canada.

“Our manufacturing facility in Alliston, which opened in 1986, represents an investment of $2.6 billion in Canada and currently employs 4,600 Associates. In 2008, out of a total production of 383,011 vehicles at the Alliston facility, almost 300,000 were Civics. In fact, of the nearly 5 million vehicles that our Canadian assembly plant has produced over the past 22 years, about 3 million of those have been Honda Civics.”
Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Civic and Civic Si sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX sedan and MDX luxury utility vehicle at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its new engine plant adjacent to its Canadian manufacturing facilities. With 135 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Honda attracts more than 24 million customers annually.

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Splash_Default?L=E#

TORONTO (February 2, 2009) – The Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, will make its Canadian debut on February 11 to members of the press at the press preview of the 2009 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto which opens to the public on Friday, February 13.The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda’s V Flow fuel cell technology – already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan – and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

“The Honda FC Sport explores new ways to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. “People who enjoy sports cars will not be forgotten by Honda in a hydrogen-powered future.”

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle’s performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport’s low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.
The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercar standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver’s left and right side.

The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiators for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle’s racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sports fuel cell technology in much the same way that a “naked bike” motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport’s clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle’s unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure theme is carried through to the body construction where exterior panels are intended to use plant-derived bio-plastics.

The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas in Pasadena, California, developed the FC Sport design study vehicle with the primary objective of using existing fuel cell technology as the basis for an ultimate Honda sports car. Designer Jason Wilbur led the design efforts.

Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Civic and Civic Si sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX sedan and MDX luxury utility vehicle at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its new engine plant adjacent to its Canadian manufacturing facilities. With 135 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Honda attracts more than 24 million customers annually.

http://www.honda.ca/default#

TORONTO (January 8, 2009) – Honda Canada Inc. received top honours from ALG as the winner of the “Mainstream Brand Residual Value Award” as part of ALG’s Canadian Residual Value Awards that honour vehicles that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional retail lease.

Honda was ranked the best overall brand out of 19 mainstream automotive brands in Canada. Acura, the luxury division of Honda Canada Inc., received a second-place award in the Luxury Brand Residual Value category, placing ahead of 11 other luxury brand competitors.The awards are based on 2009 model year vehicles. The awards are derived after carefully studying segment competition, historical vehicle performance and industry trends, and are based on analysis using only Canada-specific data. ALG, based in Santa Barbara, California, provides data and consulting services to the automotive industry and publishes the “Automotive Lease Guide” in both Canada and the U.S.

In addition to winning the overall Mainstream Brand Residual Value Award, Honda Canada also received individual segment awards for the Honda Odyssey (Minivan segment); the new Honda Fit (Entry Compact Car); and the Honda Ridgeline (Compact/Midsize Pickup Truck).

“We are very excited to announce the inaugural Canadian Residual Value Awards,” said John Blair, Chief Executive Officer of ALG. “Honda clearly set itself apart by winning the overall Mainstream award and three segment awards. Honda benefits from its disciplined production, consistent high quality and value pricing, and its shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles has also helped the brand.

“We firmly believe that Residual Value is the best metric for evaluating the overall strength of an automotive brand, and congratulate all of the winners for their successful products and marketing strategies.”

Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Civic sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX sedan and MDX luxury utility vehicle at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its new engine plant adjacent to its Canadian manufacturing facilities. With 135 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Honda attracts more than 24 million customers annually.

http://www.honda.ca/default#

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/StoryPopUp.asp?L=E&P=Splash_Storyboard&N=4

TORONTO (September 18, 2009) – Honda Canada announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Andretti Green Toronto for the title sponsorship rights to the Toronto-based IndyCar Series event to be named “Honda Indy Toronto.” Scheduled for July 10-12, 2009, the Honda Indy Toronto will be part of next year’s 18-race IndyCar Series schedule and will also feature the Firestone Indy Lights Series as part of the weekend’s diverse activities.

“Working with the Andretti Green Toronto team, we intend to make the Honda Indy Toronto a world-class event . . . one that Toronto and the province of Ontario can be proud of,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc.

Michael Andretti, co-owner and chairman of Andretti Green Toronto, added, “This is a great day for everyone who is a fan of IndyCar racing in Toronto. Honda has been a great partner of ours for years and this will take that partnership deeper into the future. Andretti Green and Honda Canada plan to do great things with this event, and everyone associated with the event is very excited for July 2009 to get here.”

Information about the Honda Indy Toronto, including ticket sales, is available at www.hondaindytoronto.com.

Ticket information is also available by contacting the Andretti Green Toronto office at (416) 588-7223.

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/StoryPopUp.asp?L=E&P=Gateway_Storyboard&N=6

MONTREAL, June 4, 2008 – Clean Air Champions (CAC) today announced a major two-year funding partnership with Honda Canada and the earthdreams program, created by the Honda Racing F1 Team. Clean Air Champions (CAC) is a Canadian charity that works with respected athletes to educate and inspire Canadians to adopt practices and lifestyles that enhance personal and environmental health. The Champions are made up of over 120 national team, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, each passionate about our environment and the health of Canadians.

CAC’s school program, Clean Air Achievers (CAA), is at the centre of this new partnership. Honda Canada and earthdreams have committed up to $200,000 CDN to the program over the next two years. The funds provided will expand the CAA program into three new provinces, including Quebec, 14 new cities and 100 new schools.

CAA targets youth in grades 6 to 9 and educates them about the interconnections between air quality, climate change and health. It currently runs in five provinces. The program’s two main goals are (1) to encourage youth to choose less polluting forms of travel and (2) to increase their level of physical fitness by walking, rolling or cycling to their destinations.

This new partnership is a joint funding agreement between Honda Canada and earthdreams. Honda Canada introduced CAC to earthdreams and, at the same time, is extending its own existing partnership with the charity. Honda Canada has been a proud sponsor of the Clean Air Achievers’ Program for the last two years.

earthdreams is a global initiative that is supporting and empowering a range of environmental projects. earthdreams’ global network of environmental projects focuses on the themes of mobility, technology, sustainability and education. earthdreams plans to be supporting 30 projects worldwide by 2009. Today, Clean Air Champions becomes the ninth earthdreams project partner.

Through the earthdreams network, Clean Air Champions will receive exposure on a global scale and the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other like-minded charities, businesses and social entrepreneurs around the world.

“As a national charity with a mission to promote cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, we are pleased to be partnering with Honda Canada and earthdreams,” said Christian Weber, Chair of Clean Air Champions. “Honda is truly a world leader in integrating the environment into its business practices as well as a pioneer in the manufacture of cleaner, more efficient engines.”

“What we at CAC are committed to is making change happen and inspiring others to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. We believe that every choice and every step does count, added Weber.

Clean Air Champion Nancy Drolet, an Olympic Medallist and a six-time World Champion in Women’s Hockey, added that “from an athlete’s perspective, I hold the environment extremely close to my heart. The capacity to avoid injury, illness and to be able to breathe at full capacity has a direct impact on performance. My life mission is to make a difference, which I feel today’s announcement can achieve. I am proud to be a part of the team work between Honda Canada, earthdreams and Clean Air Champions, as it’s a winning combination.”

“Honda has always considered it our responsibility and commitment for the future to ensure ‘blue skies for our children’. To achieve this, we will continue to advance technologies for the benefit of today’s customer and future generations. We welcome our new partnership with Honda Racing F1 Team’s earthdreams program to fund Clean Air Champions Clean Air Achievers program to build awareness of, and drive action for, environmental concerns.” said Jerry Chenkin, Executive Vice-President, Honda Canada Inc.

Nick Fry, chief executive officer of Honda Racing F1 Team, said “Honda Canada has supported CAC for the past two years and as a charity, it is a perfect fit with the aims and ambitions of our earthdreams program. Supporting environmental education projects is integral to earthdreams and preparing the next generation for their environmental responsibilities.”

Click on the link below to view the press confrence video
http://www.hondacanadamedia.com/video.php?vid=15